Season's first snowstorm sweeps into Worcester County

During her brief at-bat with brutal New England weather, Los Angeles native Kylee Malouf had only seen a dusting of snow on separate days in mid-November and earlier this month.

Saturday gave the 18-year-old freshman softball player at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester a better sampling. She didn't expect to get off that easy, did she?

Ms. Malouf experienced what she called her first snowstorm — which was the state's first significant snowstorm of the winter season, although the official start to winter is days away.

The Weather Service said 4 to 8 inches of snow and sleet covered Greater Worcester through midnight. The temperature dropped to about 13 degrees, with snow, sleet, freezing rain and a slight chance of thunderstorms expected after midnight.

The Weather Service said another 1 to 2 inches of snow showers was possible Sunday, in addition to cloudiness, freezing rain and sleet. The service also called for ice accumulation of up to a tenth of an inch, with a high in the mid-30s, and northeast winds at 15 to 20 mph.

On Saturday, the last day of final exams at Holy Cross, the well-bundled Ms. Malouf lugged two suitcases from her dormitory up a flight of outside stairs and into a vehicle in a parking lot.

"It's very cold, but it's been fun so far," the Californian said. "I slipped on black ice, so that was an experience."

On Sunday morning, before leaving for her cross-country return flight home, where 70-plus-degree weather awaits, she said she planned to sled on the hilly campus.

"I was expecting the snow to come earlier (in the calendar)," she said. "But I'm glad I got to see the snow before I left."

Just after 7 p.m. Saturday in Worcester, there were police scanner reports of various weather-related car accidents that did not result in injuries. For instance, a car struck a telephone pole on Greenwood Street, and there was a one-car accident on Southwest Cutoff.

Experienced New Englanders handled their business as the snow picked up Saturday night.

At Sears Auto Center in Auburn, Bob Brady said he would possibly buy a new battery for his Chevrolet Silverado, which had trouble starting once or twice the last couple of days.

In Charlton, Dick's Tire Barn saw three times the volume of sales from a typical Saturday, according to owner's son Brett Green.

"Everybody waits until the last minute," Mr. Green said.

Keith Gilchrist, a Worcester Department of Public Works employee who was assigned to sand the Park Avenue/Mill Street neighborhood, said he expected to work until the snow stopped — "and probably some after that."

He began the shift at 3:30 p.m.

After nine years in the job, every year the snow presents a different challenge, he said while replenishing his truck with sand at the public works facility on East Worcester Street.

"Keeps it interesting," he said.

The main thing he has learned in his time, he said, is, "Slow and easy wins the race."

Contact Brian Lee at blee@telegram.com

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